


One Week

by LotharWinchester



Series: Fallout Snippets/ Shorts [12]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arthur might have flashbacks, Eventual Smut, F/M, Laywer!Sole/Problematicclient!Maxson, Mentions of War, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-06-10 15:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6961861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LotharWinchester/pseuds/LotharWinchester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cut off from his lavish lifestyle to teach him a lesson, Nora Waters now has her most insufferable client living with her. for a week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You have a Lovely Home, Ms. Waters

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own fallout, bethesda does.
> 
>  
> 
> All of my favorite Fallout fanfic writers (tess1978, Gaqalesqua,Morninglight) started doing this prompt and i'm gonna give it a go. this was originally going to be one chapter but i decided to extend it.

Arthur Maxson stared at the plain white walls of his lawyer’s apartment. The last thing he had expected was to be here after throwing a punch at the senator’s banquet. His father had called Nora Waters in to bail her son out for the umpteenth time. The last Maxson watched as his father cut his credit cards in half and shut him out of all the family bank accounts before she arrived via Skype.

 _Maybe this will teach you a lesson, Arthur._  His father’s voice unsynchronized from the movements on his webcam. _Ms. Waters has agreed to my terms. I gave her your bonus._ The loss of his funds was a minor annoyance compared to the idea of staying with Nora. _See you in a week, Arthur._

He sighed heavily as he stared at Nora’s spare bed. It would fit his six foot four frame but he could tell that he wouldn’t be using it all that often.  He’d been deployed twice and he had yet to readjust to the softness of a regular bed. Nightmares plagued him unless he slept on a hard surface. 

Arthur was thankful for the fact his return to his partying ways threw his father off of what was really going on. Something that Arthur himself did not want to face.

He shook his head and took in the rest of his surroundings. A small en suite bathroom housed a shower and a sink with a medicine cabinet. _Your medication is on the top shelf._ Nora’s face was a stoic mask, having been called in at such an early hour to get him, but her voice hinted at her concern for him.

And Arthur loathed when people around him were overly concerned or pitied him. It started when his mother died and had picked up with his return home. The long scar on his face still stung.

Outside of the spare room, Nora kept a tiny kitchen that flowed into her living and dining room areas. Modestly furnished even though she had enough money to buy this house ten times over with just Arthur’s retainer.  That’s what he liked about Nora. She had managed to hold onto her personality even though she was a tough, hard edged lawyer.

“You should be sleeping.” Nora yawned as she set her coffee pot. “From what your file says, you’ve been up for four days.”

Arthur turned and admired her form fitting bathrobe. _That’s not what you’re here for._

“You have a lovely home, Ms. Waters.” His voice sounded far more confident than he felt.

“Please, just call me Nora, Arthur.”


	2. Sunday, part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: i don't own fallout, bethesda does. I also don't own any songs mentioned.  
> Sorry for the delay again. new meds, personal shit got in the way.

****

Arthur was more than grateful Nora had returned to work by the time he woke up.  His throat was hoarse and his lips were dry.  Tears stung at his eyes and for once, he let them fall until one hit his scar and he winced as the salt of his tears stung the skin.  He rolled over and found that Nora had come in to check on him. He was covered in a blanket from his bed although he still remained on the floor. He grunted as he sat up, trying to chase his demons away.

_You’re no go to anyone like this_

He let himself simmer in his negativity as he folded his blanket and made his way to the shower. Quick and efficient, he slid into a clean pair of boxers and sweat pants that had been left on the bed for him.  A part of Arthur wondered where she got extra clothes for him. Did Danse drop them off from his flat?

The memory of his fist colliding with Danse’s jaw before the banquet flooded back to him. _Nope, not Danse._

In the back of his mind, he knew his best friend would understand.  They’d both had violent breaks after returning home. And Danse had been a Merc for four years before he joined the Army.

Four in the afternoon greeted him on Nora’s stove’s clock. Arthur repeatedly poured himself a glass of water until he could talk normally again.  Nora was a lawyer that worked seven days a week, not five, so he wasn’t surprised she was still gone. 

He took the time to explore her living room. It gave her a view of Boston that nearly rivaled his own. A white couch and a large TV with a small wooden bookshelf underneath was filled with DVDs and CDs. He also noticed the Amazon Echo beside her CD sound system.

  
“Play Bad Moon Rising, CCR.” Arthur smirked once the song filled the empty flat. He was about to sit down when he noticed several picture frames under the TV. His blood cooled at an all too familiar sight.

The tri folded American flag next to Nate Water’s picture was enough to tell him that Nora wasn’t single by choice. That she had experienced a heartache he hoped he’d never lay on anyone he cared about.  He sighed as his gaze shifted from his Army given death portrait to a photo of the Water’s wedding. He focused on Nate’s large hand on Nora’s stomach.  

He never knew she had a baby.

Then again, he never knew she was married. She never wore a ring the entire three years he had known her.  Arthur stopped has his right hand landed near a sonogram. A baby boy by Nora’s handwriting on the bottom.

_First photo of Shaun, 2012_

More sonograms followed until they stopped around four months. Arthur quickly pulled away and turned the music off. This was treading way to close to Nora’s personal history. Information his father had paid a private investigator to find until Nora put a stop to it. 

Arthur’s head snapped to the door when he heard it close. The clock on the stove read six thirty. Had he really been staring for almost 3 hours?

“Oh.” Nora forced a smile to her face, “I see you’ve found my photos.”

“Nora I’m-”

“I’m not looking for pity or sympathy Arthur.” Nora kicked off her shoes and untied her shawl.

“Neither am I.” the words escaped his lips before he could stop them.

Nora nodded as she pushed her hair behind her ears, “I know.”


	3. Monday Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: usual one from previous chapters. 
> 
> mentions of arm gripping to the point where it would bruise. just throwing that TW out there.

It had been a while for Nora. 

Although Nate was a highly decorated member of the military and mostly healthy (he’d stray for a Hostess snack cake ever now and then) he was often prone to attacks like this.

She watched from the doorway as Arthur writhed on the floor underneath his thin sheet.  Nate had said the worst part of his tours was sleeping at home. Not because of her, he made that very clear and she understood, but the nightmares of what had happened to him or what he had done in Alaska had never left him.

_“Take me instead. **Please** ”_

Nora bit her lip as she tried to recall what she did for Nate other than what he’d asked; give him space until he woke up on his own. 

 _“She’s my mother.”_ She tried to will her tears away as she stepped away from the door frame. _“I love her.”_

It was well known that Arthur’s mother, Jessica Maxson, had gone missing when he was ten. Rumors spread about the raven haired beauty for years afterwards. They included the usual cheating, get away, and/or divorce rumors but Nora had the unfortunate privilege to know the truth.  It reminded her of why she became a lawyer in the first place.

Jessica Maxson had been kidnapped by the Institute.  And Nora presumed murdered as well. That's what the Institute did. What they were known for.

Arthur’s screams reached a fever pitch as he rolled over on his side.  How no one knew how much he was suffering was beyond her.  She had already put two and two together with his partying and outburst at the senator’s banquet.  He was covering everything up for his father. Again.

  
When he started gasping for air, Nora couldn’t stand by and take it anymore.  She pulled the blanket down so he wouldn’t get tangled and gently rested a hand on his left shoulder.

“Arthur, wake up.” She started out in a normal voice but by the time Arthur actually awoke, she was near screaming as well. She silently thanked her soundproofing job she’d invested in for Nate.

Arthur’s big hands latched onto her upper arms and squeezed like he was squeezing the life out of someone. He wouldn’t let go.  
  
“Arthur, you’re hurting me!”

 

* * *

 

When Arthur finally opened his eyes, he realized two things.  He was covered in sweat and tears, and he was clenching down on Nora’s arms in a firm grip.

“Fuck!” He gasped out and quickly let go of her arms, “Fuck, I’m sorry.”

She exhaled heavily and winced as she bent her arms and stretched them. “It’s okay Arthur.”

“No it’s not, I hurt you.” His voice was hoarse as he looked down at his hands. “I’m sorry.”

When Nora went to hold his hands he pulled them away as if they had been scalded with hot water.

“I just don’t want to hurt you.” His voice cracked as he looked into Nora’s eyes.

“You’re awake, you won’t hurt me.”  Nora smiled as she let Arthur wipe away her tears with his thumb. “It’s okay Arthur. Can you do me a favor?”

He nodded and watched as her hand held his to her face. “We’re going to do a brief exercise I used to do with Nate when he had times like this. First I want you to tell me where you were born.”

“Washington D.C.” Arthur swallowed to calm his breathing.

“What street did you live on as a kid?” Nora continued to smile to try to ease him a little more. Inside, she was nervous that this might not work.

“Indiana Avenue.” He exhaled slowly and focused on Nora’s blue eyes.

“Where are we now?”

“Your apartment,” He stuttered “In Boston.”

“Good… good.” Nora brought the hand on her face to her lap. “Are you here with me now?”

“Yes.”


	4. Monday Morning pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as usual discliamer is i don't own fallout, bethesda does. 
> 
> also check out "Don't get cut on my edges" by birdprincess. that's one of my top 5 Fallout fics and is also a modernAu!

Arthur couldn’t describe the relief he felt as he dug fully into his weight training. Relieved that Nora’s apartment complex had a shared gym on the second floor. Relieved that it was empty this early in the morning.

Nora had given him her key card to get in and found it was a decent size gym. He eyed each machine before finding a weight bench. He’d switched from pulleys and free weights back to the bench in about a half an hour.

He had a gym back home.  Full of the same equipment and a mini Ninja Warrior practice course from when he needed to train for his guest star spot. He’d gone and worked out almost every morning since he’d been back.

 _D.C., Indiana, Boston._ Repeated over and over in his head until he was sure he was calm enough to finish his work out and see Nora again.

It cleared his mind from the fact that Nora would have a hand size bruise on her arms for days.

A shrink his father had allowed him to go see had done the same exercise with him. It hadn’t worked and Arthur was quite frankly surprised it worked to ground him in the present now.

He quickly came to the realization it was because of Nora.

Arthur shook his head and did one last rep with the straight bar over his head. Danse had teased him about his crush on Nora.  She wasn’t all that much older than him and she was single. He hadn’t known at the time why. 

He exhaled and sat up to clear his thoughts. The clock on the wall beamed seven at him and his stomach rumbled.

\--

Nora dug through her closet and found a relatively new suit jacket to cover her arms. She made a mental note to stop at the store to pick up concealer or some form of make up to hide the bruises.

She was more worried for Arthur, who was currently cooking the carton of eggs she’d left on the top shelf of her refrigerator. He cracked one into the frying pan just as she entered the room.

“I’ll be back around six.” She smiled to try to reassure Arthur that she was alright. He’d come back from the gym and merely said hello to her before rushing to take a shower. “I can bring take out back for dinner, if you’d like?”

“That sounds good, thank you.” He barely turned around and caught a glimpse of her smile, she hoped.

\--

When the door clicked closed behind Nora, Arthur started humming to keep himself from going back to the memories of last night again.

Nora had somehow known he was into photography and gotten his phone from his father. His Instagram page was now full of pictures from the inside of her living room. The lone plant by her t.v. and the Echo that survived, him reclined on her couch, and the view of Boston from her windows.

He shot a text to Danse about what happened and hoped he hadn’t woken his best friend up.

_Do you want me to convince your Dad to go see Dr. Weiss?_

Arthur did not want to see the seventy year old therapist again anytime soon. He had nothing against the man personally, but he hadn’t benefited from therapy with the man.

_No. I just don’t want it to happen again._

He scrolled through his previous messages with Danse and realized that today was the day he was going to interview for a job under his father. _Fuck…._

_Arthur…_

He could practically feel Danse’s worry through his Iphone.

_I’m alright for now Danse. I’m sorry to drag this up before your interview. Good luck._


End file.
